The Emergence of High-Stakes Accountability Policies in Teacher Preparation: An Examination of the U.S. Department of Education’s Proposed Regulations

Using a sociological framework this article explores the emergence and possible consequences of the 2015 U.S. Department of Education’s proposed federal regulatory policy on teacher education programs and alternative route providers. After describing the key features of the policy, we examine the re...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Education policy analysis archives 2016-02, Vol.24 (21), p.21
Main Authors: Tatto, Maria Teresa, Savage, Corey, Liao, Wei, Marshall, Stefanie L., Goldblatt, Paul, Contreras, Leonardo M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Academic Achievement
Accountability
Accreditation (Institutions)
Alternative Teacher Certification
Education
Educational Change
Educational Improvement
Educational Policy
Educational Quality
effectiveness
Federal Government
Federal Regulation
National Standards
Outcomes of Education
Public Agencies
Teacher Education
Teacher Education Programs
Teacher Effectiveness
teacher preparation, accountability
United States
Citations: Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Using a sociological framework this article explores the emergence and possible consequences of the 2015 U.S. Department of Education’s proposed federal regulatory policy on teacher education programs and alternative route providers. After describing the key features of the policy, we examine the research literature looking for evidence of the merits of accountability policies in improving teacher education and preparation quality and outcomes. Although there is some research evidence that increased accountability measures may indeed contribute to improving the quality and outcomes of teacher education and preparation, the conditions under which this happens are not straightforward. While the stated aim of the regulatory policy, to ultimately advance student learning, finds widespread support in the education community, research evidence points to a number of validity problems with the overall policy. Of particular concern is the policy’s attempts at establishing a direct link between teacher preparation and two of the regulations’ suggested outcomes, namely graduates’ employment and pupil achievement. The policy as conceived could negatively impact program norms and resources and undermine the development of teachers’ human, cultural, and social capital. We discuss the accreditation challenges that the policy is likely to confront and implications for the future of teacher education and preparation accountability. 
ISSN:1068-2341
1068-2341
DOI:10.14507/epaa.24.2322